THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 305 



out, must design all together and with due re- 

 gard for every part. 



Of actual vegetable culture it is not, perhaps, 

 my part to say a great deal here, yet of the ap- 

 proach to this phase of garden making I may 

 appropriately speak, since it is a part of general 

 garden operations. Briefly, the steps to be 

 taken are five in number: the measuring off 

 of the plot and staking out, with allotment for 

 paths and for any special features that may be 

 intended; the applying to the ground thus set 

 apart of fertilizer, preferably ih the shape of 

 well decomposed stable manure; the plowing 

 or spading up, during which this is turned 

 under; the application to the upturned and 

 broken ground of a dressing of lime; and finally 

 the harrowing or raking of all this surface until 

 it is broken and fine and mellow for the recep- 

 tion of the seed. 



Of the first — the staking out of the ground — 

 let it be remembered that primarily it is to 

 grow vegetables, and to grow them of the finest 

 quality and to the highest point of develop- 

 ment, with the least expenditure of effort. It 

 must be brought to the point of highest effi- 

 ciency, in other words — which implies that the 

 gardener who tends it shall be able to manipu- 

 late his tools with perfect freedom and shall not 



